Does the Pope go to confession?

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BListon said:
If so… who does he confess to?
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Of course he does! Even the Pope sins!

🙂

I think he has a confessor assigned. He outranks that Bishop, but we are all equals when it comes to sin.
 
“we are all equal when it comes to sin”

AMEN THERE!!!
 
If I recall correctly, Bl John Paul II went to confession every week.

Cardinal Dolan says he himself tries to go every 2 weeks. Says he needs it.

I expect a similar frequency for BXVI
 
I am so glad as a covert from Evangelical Protestantism to have the grace God gives to us through the sacrament of Reconciliation. Alot of people, even some Catholics, do not realize what a gift this is.
 
The Pope probably has a regular confessor, most likely someone in his inner circle. However, he can confess to any priest and receive absolution.
 
Not only does he have a regular confessor, but the confessors of the Vatican are Conventual Franciscans, and have been for a few centuries by now. 😃
 
latingirl said:
I am so glad as a covert from Evangelical Protestantism to have the grace God gives to us through the sacrament of Reconciliation. Alot of people, even some Catholics, do not realize what a gift this is.
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Amen! Welcome home.

There have been times when it did not feel like my feet were touching the floor as I left the confessional. It’s a shower and shave for your soul.
 
po18guy said:
Amen! Welcome home.

There have been times when it did not feel like my feet were touching the floor as I left the confessional. It’s a shower and shave for your soul.
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I have felt the sensation of being cleansed as if in a shower too. Its almost as if reliving the graces of baptism, having the water of Christ trickled over you one more time.
 
It is said that Pope John Paul II went to confession several times a week. I have no trouble in believing that.
 
I do know (but I forgot where I read this) that, when a priest hears a bishop’s confessions, both of them kneel. I presume this would apply when the pope confesses, since he is of higher rank than any other clergy. The pope most certainly does go to confession, as it would be in direct contradiction to Catholic dogma to say that he is without sin. Every human who has ever walked on this earth is a sinner (except Jesus Christ, of course), and the popes are no exception. You can imagine how difficult this is to explain to every Protestant I come across who doesn’t understand what papal infallibility means.
 
Nat682 said:
I do know (but I forgot where I read this) that, when a priest hears a bishop’s confessions, both of them kneel. I presume this would apply when the pope confesses, since he is of higher rank than any other clergy. The pope most certainly does go to confession, as it would be in direct contradiction to Catholic dogma to say that he is without sin. Every human who has ever walked on this earth is a sinner (except Jesus Christ, of course), and the popes are no exception. You can imagine how difficult this is to explain to every Protestant I come across who doesn’t understand what papal infallibility means.
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I don’t know because used to kneel when the priest sat. But now we both sit in the pews. Which is far more practical. I would think though that he will regard himself the sinner at the confession and do whatever who hears him suggests whether its sit or kneel.
 
The pope goes to confession like anyone else. He has to follow the same rite as anyone else. He cannot pick and choose between the old rite or the new rite. That is the choice of the confessor.

Like any Catholic, he has the right to choose his confessor. For almost 500 years the official confessors and preachers to the papal household have been the Capuchin Franciscan Brothers. Someone said the Conventual Franciscans, right religious order, wrong obedience. It’s the Capuchin obedience who has that job.

However, that is not a law. That is a tradition. Any pope can change this. He can hire the Maryknoll Missionaries to serve the papal household. It’s his household. If he wants to use the older rite, he can hire the FSSP to serve. If he wishes, he can even have a confessor from one of the Eastern Churches, since he is the Pontiff over the entire Catholic Church, he can hire anyone. What he cannot do is command the confessor to use the rite of his preference. No penitent can exercise that kind of authority over a confessor.

In confession, the pope is just another Catholic and the confessor has all the authority, just like when you and I go to confession. We can’t dictate to the priest what we want or our preferences. We take what he uses or find a confessor whom we like better.

Popes have traditionally gone to confession face to face for centuries. The screen is pretty useless when you’re called into the papal chapel to hear the pope’s confession. The anonymity is shot. 😃 When going to confession face to face, you rarely kneel. But he can kneel or sit. There is chair as well as a kneeler.

The confessor never kneels to hear a confession, regardless whose confession it is. The exception to this would be an injured person laying on the ground. Then you have to kneel to hear him. In the confessional, the figure of authority is the confessor, not the penitent.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF 🙂
 
JReducation said:
Like any Catholic, he has the right to choose his confessor. For almost 500 years the official confessors and preachers to the papal household have been the Capuchin Franciscan Brothers. Someone said the Conventual Franciscans, right religious order, wrong obedience. It’s the Capuchin obedience who has that job.
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Actually, it still is the Conventuals.
 
AlexPetrosPio said:
Actually, it still is the Conventuals.
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Those are the friars assigned to St. Peter’s not to the papal household.

The friars assigned to the papal household are only three, I believe. Headed by Fra. Raniero Cantalamessa, OFM Cap who is also the official preacher. This office has been held by the Capuchins since 1555.

They are the same order, but two different obediences assigned to two different places. Both are Friars Minor, but not the same branch.

As to whether the pope actually uses him or any priest of his choice is anyone’s guess.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF 🙂
 
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